The Third Orphan

Chapter 3

In the bright sunlight Briella quickly lost the sense of unease she had felt in Ollivander's shop and became excited about finding her pet. Elizabeth, however, felt her worries begin afresh. Ollivander was known for his remarkable memory, but surely there was nothing he could remember that would put Briella in danger. Why, the girl hardly looked at all like Brianna, and goodness knows she didn't resemble her father at all. And while her eyes sometimes flashed with bits of her mother's personality, they were not even the same color. Still Elizabeth, like Briella, felt Ollivander's eyes following them out of the store.

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Soon Elizabeth, Alyssa, and Briella reached the Magical Menagerie. Daniel had gone off to search for Brenden who had not been seen for over an hour. "If he's gone down Knockturn Alley..." Daniel was heard muttering threateningly under his breath as he set off.

Alyssa and Briella gasped at the same time as they entered the store. The walls were obscured by glass tanks and wire cages. Cats roamed freely about the shop, hissing at smaller creatures, winding between the patrons' legs, and nearly tripping people. Birds hung in cages from the ceiling. Some sang songs in lovely, nearly human voices, others' sweet chirping made anyone drowsy who came near, while others merely glowed or changes colors. A soft hooting came from the corner of the store where a large cage housed over thirty owls.

Alyssa immediately spotted two kittens wrestling on the floor and dragged her mother over to them. While Alyssa begged her mother to let her have both, Briella felt drawn to the reptile side of the store. She stopped beside a snake whose colors changed so quickly and body moved so rapidly that it made her eyes hurt.

"You're so pretty," she whispered to it admiringly.

To her surprise, the snake slowed its wriggling and hissed back, "Thank you darling, you as well."

Briella gasped. "You can talk?" she murmured.

"To you I can," the snake replied cryptically, glowing a contented orange-pink.

Briella was about to ask it to explain further when she felt her mother's and upon her shoulder, yanking her away from the snake. "Mummy, the snake can talk!" she exclaimed excitedly. "It said..." but her voice trailed off at the sight of the look on her mother's face.

"Briella," began Elizabeth in a quiet, serious voice, "you MUST stay away from snakes."

"But why?" asked Briella, puzzled. "They're such amazing creatures Mummy. This one was saying that it could talk to me, but not everyone... or at least I think that's what it meant. I'll ask her..." she began to turn back to the snake but her mother's hand stopped her once again.

"Briella, snakes are tricky creatures," whispered Elizabeth urgently, glancing around to see if anyone was listening. "Part of this snake's magic was that it could talk, but it would have lied to you to make you think you were special so that you would buy it." Seeing Briella's expression, she added, "Not that you aren't special, Sweetie, I just meant..." she sighed and pulled her adopted daughter into a hug. Looking into her eyes she said, "I love you, Briella, no matter what."

Briella gazed back into her mother's eyes through the tears that clouded her own and smiled a little. "Come on, Sweetie, let's go look at the cats and owls," said Elizabeth. "But stay away from snakes, okay?"

"Alright Mummy," replied Briella and allowed herself to be led back to the other side of the store.

When Briella and Alyssa left the Magical Menagerie they each held one of the wrestling kittens while their mother carried an owl that she had bought for them to share. They soon met up with Daniel and Brenden, who was chattering nonstop about the newest racing broom: the Lightning Strike 3. The whole family knew that Brenden was hoping to make the house quidditch team as a beater, but felt that his chances weren't good on his old Nimbus 2001. Daniel, however, insisted that there would be few students with better brooms and that Brenden would need to get in on pure talent.

Weary from the long day of shopping, the family of five finally reached a public fireplace and one by one stepped into it and spun home. Briella dragged her school stuff up to her room and, though exhausted, was far too excited to sleep. She sorted her clothes and books again and again. She shined her cauldron and fingered her wand, feeling its friendly warmth.

She wanted to read her books, but was intimidated by the amount of information they held. Where could she possibly begin? Finally, desperate to try out her new wand, she picked up a book of charms and flipped through it. In the dim light of the darkening room she found one that appeared useful: lumos.

Skipping the instructions on wand movement and theory, she said the word and waved her wand but nothing happened. Disappointed, she tried again. this time the end of her wand flickered for a second and went out. Three more times she tried, but with no better results. Finally, with a sigh she pulled a candle close and resigned herself to learning the theory.

After carefully reading the instructions in the book she tried again, this time focusing on technique. The end of the wand lit u, but just as she began to be filled wit elation over what she had done it went out again. Annoyed, she attempted the sell again, concentrating harder this time. To her delight, the light from her wand filled the room, providing ample light to read by. With a triumphant smile, Briella blew out the candle and settled down to learn more by the magical wand light.

She didn't fall asleep until nearly two in the morning, her face dropping with a small thud into the pages of A History of Magic. A small smile lit her sleeping features as she dreamed of Hogwarts, which in just one week would be her new home.

One person, however, did not sleep that night. Elizabeth, afraid to confide in even Daniel of the snake episode, tossed and turned all night, lost in a raging sea of fear and worry.